Fight Your Own Battles
by skull pride
Summary: Remember Kittys bullie, Riley, from x-impule? Well Riley comes to town and messes with the wrong x man. Thier are swear words and a fight scene. Please leave a review, they make me happy.


**i own nothing, sadly. please review and tell me what you think.**

Kitty Pryde liked to theorize sometimes as to why she has such bad luck in her life. One running theory was that she did something horrible in a past life to warrant her terrible luck in this life.

'I bet i killed someone important.' She thought to herself as she sat at on of the many picnic tables located in the court yard of Bayille high school.' Maybe I was that Booth guy that shot Lincoln...or maybe I was Napoleon, that sounds more accurate, I am part French and we both have that height thing going on.' Whatever the case maybe, it didn't matter. What mattered was the here and now and the here and now really sucked for her today.

Kitty was pulled from her musings when suddenly a red and black blur whizzed by her and hurled its self under neither the picnic table she was currently seated at.

''What in the name of God are you doing?'' said Kitty as she glanced down. Surprisingly, it was Wanda Maximoff, also know as the Scarlet Witch who was currently making herself scarce by Kitty's legs.

''shsssss...I'm hiding from Rogue'' was Kitty's answer. With a raised brow Kitty asked "why?''

Wanda sheepishly mustered up an asker. ''Well, you see its a funny stor-''

"KIT!'' both Wanda and Kitty looked to their right. At the sight of Rogue, Kitty was able to piece the puzzle together. Rogue, one of the biggest Goths known to man and mutant kind stomped her way across the court yard toward Kitty...with neon pink hair and she did not look happy about it. Kitty was pretty sure the side walk under Rogue's feet melted a little as she made her way toward her bestfriend.

"Wanda... what did you do?"

"I'm not here and you haven't seen me all day" with that Wanda went back all the way under the table. A few seconds later Rogue stood before Kitty.

"Have you by any chance, seen Wanda?"

"Ummmm, nope, cant say I have...love the hair, really, like, brings out your eyes you know.''

"Cut the crap Kit. Where's Wanda" Kitty's response was a shrug. The look on Rogue's face was really terrifying and Kitty didn't trust her voice at the moment.

"She's under the table isn't she?''

'God she's good' was Kitty's thought before giving the most intelligent retort of the decade.

''Ummmmm''

with that Rogue dived under the table, which in turn made Wanda latch on to Kitty's right leg as if that would save her.

''Get out from under there you witch!''

"Ahh my leg!"

"Help me Kitty!"

"Screw you! Let go of my leg!"

"Your dead! You hear me Wanda!"

finally Wanda was fully dragged from her hidey hole, dignity left far behind. Rogue held the witch in a head lock Kitty was pretty sure she had seen Wolverine use on Sabertooth once.

''Can you breath Wanda?" asked Kitty. As she said this Kitty rubbed her knee carefully, she was pretty sure Wanda nearly broke it off. '' No! help me Kitty, she's going to hurt me!"

"After you nearly like broke my leg? Not happening."

"You suck!" said a struggling Wanda. Here Rogue spoke up.

"Fix my hair or I swear to God I'll tell Toad about the time you had a dream about you two getting married and you had his babies!"

"WHAT!" Wanda was squirming earlier but now it seem she was nearly spastic.

" You promised you would never bring that up again!"

''Yeah well that was before you made me look like a Goth flamingo!''

"Ok ok I'll do it! geez!" with that rogue released Wanda.

Wanda then faced Rogue and lifted her hands. She waved both her hands slowly over Rogue's scalp as if she were to run her fingers though the pink locks. As she moved her hand the hair turned back to its normal auburn color with white stripe visible again. Rogue breathed an obvious sigh of relief.

"Happy now?" questioned Wanda snidely

"Never.. do that.. again"

"You two going to like sit and stop causing a scene now?"

With that both girls took up seats next to their friend, not caring that the whole school campus has stopped everything they were doing to stare at the girls antics.

"Sooo Kitty, how was your day?'' questioned Rogue who now sat across from her, anger at her other friend forgiven and forgotten. Wanda sat next to Rogue and also waited for an answer.

Kitty heard the question but didn't want to answer. She didn't want to relive what she went through today.

"Fine.''

Rogue raised a brow at this. 'Something's up' before Rogue could voice her thoughts Wanda spoke up.

''Something's wrong.'' it wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact.

'Might as well come out with it' thought kitty

'' Ok you know when someone from your past suddenly reappears again and you wish they hadn't?'' Kitty looked up and suddenly realized how stupid that statement was considering her present company. Both Wanda and Rogue had mirror image facial expressions, irritation, a bit of loathing and showed how truly stupid that question was, kitty wondered for a second if they practiced together in a mirror or if it was a Goth thing.

'diffuse the situation kitty, defuse, DEFUSE DAMN IT!' Kitty screamed in her head.

"Ummm my bad. Anyways that's what happened to me today."

both girls relacked and push their bad memories away and grew concerned ''What happened?" asked Wanda

"Well...''

**flashback, second period, us history**

Kitty sat in her desk trying desperately to not fall not that she didn't like history don't get her wrong, it was on of her favorite subjects. But having to get up at 1 am because she had to help stop Pyro from burning down city hall did nothing to help her keep focused no matter how hard she tried. she propped her head up on her hand and tryed very hard to consintrate on the teachers voice.

"So class in 1803 president Thomas Jefferson wanted the newly purchased the Louisiana territory to be explored and mapped out. so Lewis and Clark...oh you must be are new student?"

At this kitty came out of her near coma and looked toward the entrance to the class room to see said new student. What she saw made her loss her breath. There in the door way stood one of the two girls that made Kitty's life a living hell since 6th grade when she lived back in Illinois. Riley Collins. Also know as Ra Ra Riley or she devil, which ever suited your fancy.

"Yep, that's me. Took me forever to find your class.''

Satan stood in the door way for a second then proceeded in, shaking her ass enough to get ever ones attention. Kitty noticed she had changed a bit since she last saw the girl. More reviling clothing with a new more stylish hair cut. Reilly stopped and stood by the teacher, extending her hand enough to give the teacher her paper work.

'Maybe she wont recognize me? She hasn't seen me in over a year and I've changed a lot, she more than likely forgot I even excited.' Kitty hoped to herself. Kitty got pulled back from her hopes by the sound of the teacher voice.

" Ok miss Collins, everything seems to be in order. Why don't you take a seat behind miss Pryde. kitty can you raise your hand please?''

Riley paused for a second before turning around. ''Piety Kitty? Is that you?"

'FML! FML! FML! WHY!'

**END OF FLASHBACK, BACK TO LUNCH HOUR.**

"Soo ya that's the deal."

Rogue spoke first. ''So your old bullies back in town?''

Then Wanda spoke to "Say the word Kitty and she'll be flouting face down in Bayville river before you know it.'' she seemed to be joking but Kitty new better, she was serious.

''Oh ya we'll show her not to screw with ya" added Rogue, murderous intent evident on her face, no one messed with her friends, and especially not the one she considers a sister.

Wanda, feeling the same way as Rogue piped in "I have an idea Rogue, how bout we get Blob t-"

Kitty cut in "I DON'T NEED YOU TO FIGHT MY BATTLIES FOR ME!''

kitty soon regretted her out burst. Both the Goths looked like they just got slapped in the face. Wanda recovered first and leaned forward and held Kitty's hand in her own. Concern loud and clear on her face. Ever since taking down Apocalypse with kitty and the rest of the X men, Wanda and kitty grew very close and became best friends soon after, she become the third musketeer with Rouge and Kitty being the other two.

''Kitty we just want to help you''

''Ya Sugar, we just want to keep you safe. You'd do the for same us''

Kitty heaved a heavy sigh '' Ya I know, its just...I figured out a long time ago that having someone else fight your battles only makes it worst for you in the end.''

Wanda though a look over at Rogue and asked ''Why does she pick on you anyways? Why would anyone want to?" then as an after thought said "Well other than the fact that your a mutant.''

It took a minute, Rogue and Wanda were pretty sure she wasn't going to answer until she sighed and spoke up.

"I first meet her in 5th grade, she was really nice and we were sorta friends for a while. Then in 6th grade she made friends with some of the cool kids and all of a sudden I'm getting lies and mean notes written about me on the bathroom walls, rumors start going around about me doing just about every illegal or gross thing you can think of. I'm getting pushed in my locker everyday, or my locker getting broken in to and my stuff stolen out of it. Out of a whole school with nearly 2000 kids Riley liked to screw with me the most.''

Kitty stopped and looked strait at both her friends who were listening intently with facial expressions that weren't of piety but of real concern, silently she thanked who ever it was that let her met these two. She continued on. "I wasn't intimidating or scary or anything, I was actually pretty pathetic back then and an easy target, so when she became friends with Amy and all the teasing and stuff got really bad, I about lost it. At one point I almost had a nervous break down and didn't go to school for about a week. Then four weeks later my powers kicked in and I came here.''

No one spoke for a while, both Goths look a little speechless. So Kitty went on.

''I've been dealing with her for years, she's my problem, my burden in life to deal with, its my burden to fix on my own. So please don't do anything. If anything, she's gotten on with her life and doesn't care about me anymore."

Neither looked very convinced.

''I'll kill her"

"I'll help"

"No guys. I'm serious, please" pleaded kitty 'I shouldn't have said anything'

Rogue sighed and slowly nodded, she could understand wanting to settle your own problems. Wanda didn't move. So Rogue shoved her elbow into her rib cage to motivate her. Wanda held her wounded side and said "Fine...but no promises."

Kitty smiled "Thanks guys, plus she sat behind me the whole time in history and didn't do anything. If Im lucky I wont have to worry about her"

**three weeks later**

'If I'm **lucky** I wont have to worry about her' Kitty quoted herself. 'What was I thinking! I have the worst luck ever remember!' thought kitty to her self as she walked down the hallway located in the bowels of the institute.

She had a private sparing session with Logan in ten minutes. As it turns out Kitty's prediction had been wrong. Riley clearly had not forgotten about Kitty and had made it a known fact. If kitty closed her eyes, then it would be like being back at her old high school again. Spreading rumors, bad pranks that usually left kitty utterly humiliated in front of everyone. Rogue and Wanda had almost broke their promises about staying out of it, but Kitty managed to stop them in time before they managed to get very far in there 'Assassinate Satan' plans as Kitty has taken to call them. It honestly was driving the two crazy, Kitty wasn't sure if she would be able to hold them back anymore if this kept up.

Why doesn't Kitty confront Riley you ask? Well it not from lack of trying. Many times Kitty has gotten in the girls face, nearly wiping the smile off her face with her fist, but every time Kitty did it seemed to just egg Riley on. Plus Riley made real good friends with a lot of the jocks and popular kids at school who help her like they were her minions. So it would be near impossible to get them all to stop.

Kitty finally made her way to the X men gym. Logan stood in the middle of the floor waiting for her.

''Ya ready half pint?"

"Like, ya Mr. Logan." with that Logan grabbed a pair of hand mitts and slipped them on.

''Alright half pint, lets work on your combos then we'll do your kicks. Ready? GO!" with that Kitty launched in to her punches. Pretending each one was connecting with Rileys face. Soon she started to tire but kept at it.

Logan wasn't surprised to see Kitty practicing so fiercely, she once told Logan she liked their private sessions because it gave her a chance to vent out all her stress in a healthy way. But Kitty seemed a bit more perturbed and stressed than usual which made her fists and kicks more accurate and harder than normal. If he were a lesser weaker man then he may have admitted that she was really starting to hurt his hands.

'Something's up' he though to himself.

"Ok half pint, break time!" Logan said. kitty stopped but still looked perturbed and very angry. Kitty walked over to some water bottles that Logan brought earlier and gulped one down. Logan soon joined her and grabbed his own bottle.

"You ok half pint?"

"Yeah"

"No your not" Kitty cased a look in Logan's direction.

"I'm totally fine Mr. Logan"

"your totally not fine" with that Kitty looked a bit defeated.

"What's eaten ya half pint? You've been acting different all month''

Kitty thought about not answering, but she respected and trusted Logan, more so than her own father sometimes.

"Its ...a very long story"

"I like stories"

So with that, Kitty told the same thing she told Wanda and Rogue a few weeks earlier with the added details of all the things Riley had done since she got to town. When she finished Logan sat there nodding his head and doing what she assumed was thinking of what to say next.

"You know half pint..." Logan started. Kitty listened intently. "I'm mighty short"

"…..Ummm what?"

"I'm short"

'He's none nuts' went thorough Kitty's mind but she keep quite.

'' And because I'm short, that means a lot of bigger guys think they have the right to come up to me some times and pick on me about it and even try to push me around.''

''Really? Their are people stupid enough to do that?''

Logan laughed at that. ''Yep and every time they do I tell them off. Sometimes their smart enough to walk away and leave me alone, cause they know I'm not going to put up with their bull, but sometimes some wise guy thinks he tough and tries to pick a fight, so naturally I fight back."

"What are you saying Mr. Logan?"

"I'm saying, this girl isn't very smart. She thinks she's tougher than you, and gets some weird pleasure out of making your life hell. I'm proud that you told Rogue and Wanda to stay out of it. Your right, never let anyone fight your battles for you and I'm even prouder that you keep standing up to her. Not many people have the courage to do that, let alone more than once. But sometimes people refuse get the message."

Kitty's mood started to lift. Logan understood and him saying he was proud of her made her smile.

''Next time she tries something I want you to keep standing up to her, and if by any chance she tries something physical and you were to, oooh I don't know, defend yourself." Logan reached out and grabbed Kitty's gloved hand in his and held her clenched fist up for her to see.

"Then maybe I would be inclined to side with you and make sure Xavier goes a little easy on you afterwards."

Kitty looked at her gloved fist and then to Logan's knowing face "Really?"

"Yep, and I'm pretty sure after words she wont want to bother you anymore. "

"Thanks Mr. Logan"

"No problem darlin, I just hope this all gets resolved soon cause I don't know how long my hands will last with you pretending their her face and all"

**one week later, Bayville court yard, lunch**

"I want to kill her"

"No"

"I want to kill her"

"No"

"Please?"

"No"

"Just a little?"

''No"

Rogue heaved a sigh. Kitty still wouldn't let her or Wanda do their duty as friends and brutally murder Riley. Now it was Wanda's turn to try.

"What if we killed her and I brought her back to life?"

Rogue and Kitty raised their brows at this.

''Can you do that?" asked Rogue. Wanda gave an unknowing shrug "Want to find out?"

Kitty had to stop herself from groaning, she decided to speck now before they went through with their experiment plans.

"Guys, again, I appreciate the thought, but, I'm not really a fan of murder, not even if its in my honor."

"Your no fun."

Kitty was about to retort when she heard "Hey piety Kitty!" to her left.

Both Rogue and Wanda feel silent, death glare set to kill as Riley strutted over to their table. Kitty looked toward Riley "Can I help you with something Riley?"

"Ya" she started, a sinister smile grew on her face "Can you help me figure out why it is that your such a loser?"

Kitty could hear laughter from the distance. A quick glance showed that they were being watched by many of Rileys minions. More than likely Riley was put up to it, or wanted to entertain them.

Kitty had to grabbed both Wanda's and Rogue's arms before they launched themselves at the girl. They both looked to be on the verge of exploding with fury.

Riley continued. "I mean, your so pathetic, not to mention disgusting. I heard you're a mutant. Creepy, I always new you were a freak of nature. Your mom should have gotten rid of you when she had the chance, hell if she had two brain cells to rub together she would have drowned you when you were born. God your so annoying, you shouldn't even be allowed in this school. You shouldn't even be allowed to live you monster."

Kitty remained blank faced, her two Goth friends were seething.

'The only reason she alive is because Kitty keeps protecting her' was Rogue main thought while clenching her fist.

Riley, blinked for a second, usually Kitty would be in her face by now but…nothing.

"Well you going to answer me moron? Or are you to stupid?"

Kitty slowly leaned forward so Riley could here her. "I feel so sorry for you."

Riley was taken back. "What the hell are you taking about?"

Kitty went on, both Rogue and Wanda were staring at her curious as to what thier friend was up to.

"The fact that you think for a second, I give a shit what you think about me" Riley's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. Kitty usually stood up to her but never said anything so final, so clear that Riley didn't know what to say.

Kitty was not finished though "You've been doing this for years, why you picked me I don't know, what I do know is, your the disgusting one here. I suggest you get a new hobby. I'd bet, if you took all the energy you use to screw with me and all the other kids you pray on to study or do a sport, then maybe you'll equate to something more in life other then a fry cook or a stripper.''

Kitty then looked toward her friends who had grins of approval on their faces. "lets get out of here guys, she wearing so much perfume I think I'm starting to hallucinate." They all stood up and started to walk away, the two Goths giggling at Kitty's little joke, giving her props for her speach.

Riley would not be having any of that. "Get your ass back here Pryde! I'm not done with you!"

Riley drawing her hand back, and shot it forward to punch Kitty in the back of the head. Kitty was expecting it. She whiled around, grabbing Riley's fist in her right palm. Kitty brought her left hand back and snapped if forward, back handing Riley in the face, Riley staggered, in shock. Then kitty pounced. A hook, cross, hook combo to her face, a mule kick to the gut had Riley splayed on the ground, lip already bleeding. But kitty wasn't done just yet. Kitty dropped to the ground to delivering blows to the girls stomach and face with her elbow, not stopping until someone made her.

A crowed had gathered, rotting on the fight. Wanda and Rogue chanted Kitty's name and in couragement. Finally a teacher broke up the fight and dragged both girls off to the office to call their guardians and possible a doctor for Riley.

**Three days later, outside the Collins residents**

"I'll wait for you here half pint."

"ok Mr. Logan"

Kitty exited the car and made her way up the drive to the front door. She carefully shifted the bundle of flowers in her arms so she could ring the door bell.

She waited for a few seconds then the door opened to reveal a battered, bruised, swollen beyond recognition, cut up, face.

"Hi Riley. I came to apologize for…you know." With that Kitty extended the flowers to the beaten girl. Riley gently reached for the flowers, shock evident in her un swollen eye.

"Are you ok?" Riley held up a finger in a one minute gesture. She left and returned with a small dry erase board. She scribbled something down and handed it to Kitty.

_Ya im fine. _

Kitty raised a brow and Riley opened her mouth….or tried to, it was wired shut.

"I'm so so so sorry this happened. I honesty wasn't trying to kill you or anything, its just that, well I…. don't know, I was angry, very angry. Can we like, not fight any more? please? "

Riley grabbed the dry erase board and started writing.

_I'm sorry to, i wanted to be cool but your not the push over you used to be. I promise to leave you alone now. _

Kitty read and nodded. "Thank you"

Riley wrote some more

_How long is your suspension? Mine ,two weeks_

"Mine is two weeks to." Riley nodded and wrote some more.

_where did you learn to fight like that? _

kitty read the note and smiled a bit. "I have a ragging Canadian martial arts teacher who likes to tutor me in the art of ass kicking as he likes to call it."

Riley nodded again, this time raising her brow. She wrote another note.

_See you in history? _

"Oh ya, definitely"

Riley nodded back and gave a small smile, despite the obvious pain she felt from the movement.

Kitty gave a small smile and wave and turned to make her way down the drive way when she stopped.

"umm" this stopped Riley from shutting the door all the way.

"You might want to be careful for the next few days. Nothing to worry about really, just be cautious, a few of my friends are still a bit peeved, so if you see a girl with a red trench coat or a girl with two tone hair, you might want to lock your doors….. And keep any pets inside"

Riley stopped to process this, then nodded quickly with understanding and a bit of fear.

With that done Kitty got back in the car with Logan and he speed off.

"How'd it go?"

"Fine, she promised to leave me alone now."

"That's good. Now my poor hands can get a chance to heal."


End file.
